In West Fargo, police recently gave body cams a test run and decided they weren’t such a great idea, primarily because of the video quality.

The video they got back was “almost nauseating” because of all the bouncing, said West Fargo Police Chief Michael Reitan.

The department also was worried about the amount of data storage needed, which could require hiring another person to act as a video librarian.

Storage needs also were a concern for other agencies in the metro area.

Fargo police Lt. Joel Vettel said his department would need about $15,000 to $20,000 a year just to get enough digital storage to keep up with what body cams create.

That, combined with the $700 to $1,000 cost for each body cam, made the proposition cost-prohibitive in Fargo Police Chief Keith Ternes’s eyes, Vettel said.

“It’s hard for him to justify the expense,” he said.

Vettel said there are advantages with body cams over other recording devices the department’s officers now use. Fargo officers wear microphones that record audio to complement cameras that record from officers’ patrol vehicles.

Those cameras automatically come on under certain circumstances, such as when the car’s lights do, or in response to a crash, Reitan said.

Moorhead police have video and audio recording on their Tasers, in addition to body microphones and car cameras, said

Lt. Tory Jacobson.

His department recently replaced its computers and video recorders. With 55 officers to cover, it isn’t likely Moorhead will invest in body cams anytime soon, he said.